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On my nails: Zoya Gilty Pleasures and a giveaway!

Here's how it goes with nail effects polishes. I put them on, spend two minutes examining my nails closely and then reach for the acetone as the immediate next step.

They somehow never "work" on my little talons and never feel like "me". Of course that doesn't stop me ogling them online and reading/watching excitedly as the next trend is revealed. Velvet/Leather/Caviar - I have considered them all!

I got sent this Zoya Gilty Pleasures set before Christmas and theme-wise it's the perfect festive effect. It's a shame then that my slackness leads me to blog about this only now, when we are all festive-d out and ready for a fresh start. Still, better late than never!

This is of course a set featuring the real gold top coat - tiny little flakes suspended in clear shiny polish that when applied make your nails look like speckled eggs. I applied it yesterday and a day later it's still on my nails.

It irks me that the flakes don't come out evenly and that you end up with a generous blob in one corner and a sparse effect in the other, but somehow it's still there. It looks awesome under artificial lights, interesting in daylight and reminds me of a night sky in dull evening lights. Okay so perhaps it's not conservative office appropriate but that's what remover is for.

The set I got came with an amazing black (Raven) and an opaque white (Purity). These are shades that I always wear - with or without a top coat - and the quality is fantastic. I don't own a lot of Zoya polishes - Essie and OPI always feel more accessible I guess - but maybe that should change?The Giveaway!

Now the good news is that the PR company gave me three sets to giveaway to my readers. These typically retail for $45 so it's a nice little boost for the start of 2013.

I am going to make this easy. All you have to do is leave a comment telling us what your favourite nail effect is. If I was going to enter this I would have to say glitter....I am not sure I could ever resist a densely packed glitter nail.

Leave your comment by the 21st of January (let's say.....5pm UAE time) and you will be in with a chance! As always, open to everyone wherever you are!

I would have to say glitter is my favorite nail effect. I work in a corporate environment so flashy nails don't usually go. However, glitter done right can work at my job. I especially love chunky glitter nail polish on my tips.

Oh that's a tough one! I'm also gonna join the majority and go with glitter-my fave combi is black+colorful glitter or christmas season black/red-golden glitter. And also since I live in a really cold northern climate, during autumn and winter I mostly wear darker tones on my nails. My nr.1 this winter is http://m5.paperblog.com/i/35/352171/opi-well-always-have-paris-nail-polish-swatch-L-SYZoPD.jpeg. LOVE this color on my nails, on my pants, on my sweater-everywhere! During summer months I change and go for brighter pinks and sometimes (really rarely) add rhinestones.

PS, LOVE your blog! Wish you would update more often :) I discovered it ~2 months ago and check here about every day. I also went to Dubai last year after christmas and it was one of the most interesting places I've visited so far. So that makes it even more interesting to follow u! Keep up the good work,

Wow your nails looks gorgeous! I love it when nails are creative with small details, but I think big glitters make any nail colour look lovely!jodie.moores@hotmail.comhttp://jodie-melissa.blogspot.co.uk/xx

This looks stunning! I love the gold flakes. I have to say I'm a glitter fiend - often just on my ring finger in an attempt to get away with it at work.Fabulous giveaway thank you!!Joanna xmylittleraysofsunshine.blogspot.co.uk@mylittlerays

I do love the glitter effect but honestly I tend to only put it on two fingers because it's so hard to take off. I also like the sally hansen stick on patterns, they are super easy to put on & take off.

I generally don't like flakies, but that looks so cool. I want to go to there! (Hopefully someone gets my 30 Rock reference or I'll feel a bit stupid). My favourite nail effect is definitely tightly packed glitter, but ombre and gradients come in as a close second.

Now i *would* say glitter too, but the sheer thought of removing a few coats of OPI rainbow connection or similiar makes me shudder with horror. So on that note, i'd have to say a nude nail (like essie ballet slippers) with a shimmery tip (gold or silver at this time of year, but minty coloured in the summer)

Ooo this looks so pretty! I've never heard of Zoya before, will have to keep an eye out for them in future! I must admit although I do love glitter I love the croc effect nails. They are like the shattered ones but it is more like a crocodile skin effect. Love it! xxx

It looks very nice! My favorite nail effect would be very dense glitter/shimmer. The kinds that are opaque in like one coat are my top favorite. For my everyday mani I always have one accent nail with heavy glitter/shimmer polish! <3

Wowza your nails look fab! I actually love the crocodile effect polishes (Barry M do this - not sure about "high end" but presuming the likes of Nails Inc?) . Generally I stick to glitter polishes but I think this Zoya gold polish looks a lot more grown up! X

I adore these gold leaf topcoats! I've drooled over the OPI Man with a golden Gun topcoat since that came out. Its somewhat ridiculous how much I love painting my nails. My favourite thing to wear is a glitter french tip- like this one http://chambrayandcurls.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/beauty-diy-champagne-bubble-mani.html. Its so pretty! I'd love to try this outxxx from another Laura!

this looks great, I really love it!for my favorite effect I'd say nail art. I know it's not really some kind of effect, but I do a lot of free-hand nail art and I love that! Other than that, glitter all the way! :)thank you so much for this giveaway!

My favourite (which I could never EVER wear personally, and I guess that's why I love it so much...!) is the really OTT 'hood inspired full-on talon nail art. I just find it SO fascinating and naffly cool. Maybe I just need a Salt n Pepa style bomber jacket and some giant square gold earrings...!

I think there is nothing better than beautifully manicured nails with creme polish. Having said this, I absolutely adore a subtle shimmer such as China Glaze Ingrid or OPI Live and Let Die. I recently received Zoya's Evvie and Daul and painted all nails with Evvie then added one coat of Daul on the ring finger. This combination looks stunning! Its subtle and you are combining creme with foil flakes in a way that really works!

I'm not so much a fan of nail effects as i am keeping it simple but sometimes i do like to zest things up again & like a block colour on all nails except the 2 ring fingers which i like to have a block colour plus glitter over the top :-)

I agree with you on the glitter effect. I still turn to my Teenage Dreams polish whenever I get a sparkly nail craving. I was tempted to cave into the caviar nail craze, but was not sure how I would feel about them barely lasting more than a day.

Love this giveaway, thanks Laura!My favourite nail effect is a light pastel colour, with a silver or gold glitter at the base of the nail! So easy to do for us that aren't so creative, but is very effective!

This is such a beautiful effect on your nails, can't really go wrong with black and gold! I really love caviar nails, but i think glitter is far more wearable. I've seen a few blog posts on 'concrete' effect nails, they look pretty cool too! My least favourite nail trend was definitely the shatter polishes, i think they looked a liiiiitle tacky, and too untidy! :)

Thanks for hosting such a fantastic giveaway! I haven't ventured too much in to nail effects, but my favourite are rhinestones and gems that I put on myself! I also really love glitter, but not all the extra work it entails to remove it.

Glitter- I seem to always go for a glitter nail! At the moment Essie Leading Lady is my main favorite but any rainbow glitter over pale blue nails always looks great too :) Loving that gold effect- I was debating buying the OPI version before Christmas...might just have to go and get myself a birthday present

I love matte nail effects, and there is nothing more satisfying than creating a one of a kind nail effect with some nail art! Adds a little uniqueness to my nails :) oooh and I've just remembered the magnetic polishes that came out...they look funky on nails!

Oh my goodness that is lush! I've just purchased a holographic top coat by Nails inc so looking forward to trying that on my nails! I like the glitter effect the most but i think im digging caviar too but alas, im a little frightened of trying it myself!

Love glitter but hate sitting about with my fingers wrapped in foil trying to remove it : /My favourite at the minute is polka dots and bows. I have 4 daughters so its Minnie Mouse nails all round in my house no matter how uncool they are ;) xx